Which of the following is the best example of the foot-in-the-door technique of persuasion?

• A. A friend threatens to end a friendship unless you agree to help them move.
• B. A person first asks their neighbor to sign a petition, and later asks them to volunteer for the cause.
• C. A teacher gives a surprise quiz to encourage students to study more regularly.
• D. A salesperson offers a large discount to convince a customer to buy an expensive product.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the foot-in-the-door technique: it is a persuasion strategy where a person first makes a small request that is likely to be accepted, and then follows up with a larger request.
2. Identify the key characteristic of this technique in the options: look for a scenario where an initial small request is made, followed by a bigger request.
3. Analyze each option: the first involves a threat (not foot-in-the-door), the second involves a small request (signing a petition) followed by a larger request (volunteering), the third is about surprise quizzes (not related), and the fourth is about offering discounts (not sequential requests).
4. Recognize that the second option best fits the foot-in-the-door technique because it uses a small initial request to increase compliance with a larger request later.
5. Conclude that the example where a person first asks their neighbor to sign a petition and later asks them to volunteer is the best illustration of the foot-in-the-door technique.